Hello ladies, in today’s blog post I wanted to share my experience with observing Lent and how we can experience Easter in a way that draws us closer to God and others to the gospel message. Grab you water/tea, get comfy and let’s dive in.

I’m sure there are many people who observe Lent – the weeks leading up to Easter/Resurrection Sunday – differently. However, I came about it through a few teachings on what Lent represents, especially to the Jewish population. I won’t go into great detail, I encourage you to research it for yourselves, but essentially the purpose of observing Lent is to prepare our hearts for Easter Sunday, the day our savoir went to the cross and died for our sins. We embrace the weight of what it took for Jesus to come and live a perfect life, then take upon himself the sins of the world and die. Yes He rose again in three days, but I think sometimes we gloss over the events that lead to that glorious Sunday. So how are we supposed to prepare our hearts? I’m not talking about putting ash on your head, performing rituals like not bathing or isolating yourself for the next six weeks. What I am talking about is seeking the Lord during this time like never before.

Ways to observe Lent in 2021:

• Read scriptures surrounding Jesus’ death and resurrection: Choose one of the four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) and read about when Jesus had his last supper with the disciples, read through the portions of scripture that talk about Jesus and how He struggled with going to the cross and ask the Holy Spirit to make the words of Jesus real to you in a way you may have never read them before. Take in every detail, think about the sights and sounds that were surrounding the events leading up to Jesus’ death, and finally put yourself in the shoes of the disciples and Jesus’ own mother as He hung on the cross that day. For some of us who’ve been attending church most of our lives we tend to gloss over the emotions and fears that were experienced that day due to becoming so familiar with the story. However, for those that were there that day, they didn’t know what we know. Mary, Jesus’ mother and those who stuck by His side till the end thought this was goodbye. They didn’t realize He would come back in three days and spend time with them again before ascending into heaven. All the disciples knew in that moment was their savoir, best friend, and teacher was being beaten for something He didn’t do, and hung on the cross like a common criminal. Imagine what that must have felt like. Imagine what they were seeing and experiencing.

• Attend Service, and spend time in worship (Online if not in person): The Bible talks about not forsaking the assembling of the church. In a world where we’re experiencing the pandemic “gathering” might look a bit different, yet we shouldn’t forsake meeting, even if it means inviting your neighbors over to watch church online. Spending time in worship brings honor back to the Lord, not just for what He has done, but also for WHO He is. As we position ourselves this way we are more open to hearing from the Lord.

• Journal and spend time in prayer: I have to admit, I haven’t been journaling as often lately, but even if you just keep one next to you as you seek God in prayer each morning or afternoon for when the Lord speaks something to you, this is a good way to maintain a grateful heart and can be very cathartic.

• Share your story: During this time, as I stated above, you can be a great witness for Jesus by simply sharing your testimony, or what God has done for you. You don’t have to lead someone into the sinner’s prayer, but you can share the gospel through being the hands and feet of Jesus in your everyday life.

These are just a few ways to embrace the next six weeks and share the hope of salvation with those around you. I hope this article blessed you, and remember you were destined for such a time as this! Let’s shine the light and hope of Jesus as we draw nearer to the Easter weekend and more importantly His coming.

In the love and light of our savior,

Angie